(Newser)
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The 12 members of the new budget super committee have received more than $3 million over the past five years from special interests directly affected by potential cuts, an AP review finds. The money came from groups linked to defense contractors, labor unions, and health care providers, and buffered the lawmakers’ re-election campaigns. With Medicare and defense spending on the chopping block, the health care industry has donated $1 million to super committee members, while defense firms have handed them $700,000.

The bipartisan co-chairs of the panel, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, have both benefited from the support of lobbyists and political groups. “With the public already disgusted with Washington in the wake of the debt limit debacle, it's vital that people have confidence that super committee members are thinking about the nation's best interests, not positioning their party or worrying about how their decisions appear to donors,” says the head of an advocacy group. But the White House calls the concerns “silly criticism.”

If they took money from those to be affected by their decision, they should be disqualified. They have too much conflict of interest for whatever decision they might reach, not to be seen with suspicion about special interests working behind the scenes. They should either resign, and/or be disqualified, and thus preserve the integrity of the committee.

bewilderbeast

Aug 13, 2011 4:42 AM CDT

Obama thinks this is "silly criticism"?? What a corporate shill he's turned out to be! Sitting on the fence is about the bravest action he's willing to take these days.